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2017 Show

Easy Tips to Master LinkedIn and Build Your Professional Brand

Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Ok, now be honest, when was the last time you updated it? If you’re finding yourself annoyed with emails from LinkedIn and new connection requests, it might be time to re-evaluate how you’re using the platform and why.

With technology, you have the ability to do just about everything you can do face-to-face, but in a digital environment, Tess Vismale of DAHLIA+ Agency told attendees at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017. Everything we have known historically around business relationships and networking has changed.

LinkedIn is a social media platform where you can:

Engage with your professional network

Get informed with industry news

Expand your connections organically

Refresh your personal profile

Showcase yourself as a well-rounded professional

By defining your goal and purpose on the platform, you can drive more value for yourself and those you’re connected to.

Here are a few examples of good goals to establish for yourself and tips to get started:

Networking: When reaching out to people, craft a custom message to let them know where you met or why you’re interested in connecting. If someone reached out with you and you don’t know why, ask him or her. See if you can find a connection point.

Increasing sales opportunities: Many people do a considerable amount of business in digital sales today. Don’t overlook LinkedIn as a space to generate leads or connect with prospects.

Career opportunities: Even if you’re not looking for a job, take a look at job descriptions and use them as an example of how to update your own profile or craft a job description for hiring. Then, when you’re ready to make a move, your profile will be targeted toward your desired position.

Exposing your personal brand or company: Use blogs and posts to express your opinions on industry topics and establish yourself as a thought leader in the space. Don’t forget to include an image or video help draw attention to your post. The average attention span of a person is just three seconds.

Once you establish your goal and purpose, you can construct your profile around that goal, create a persona and dictate your posting and sharing strategy. Your usage will become more focused and it will be easier for you to decide how and when to engage.

The Keys to Success on LinkedIn

Before you start posting, audit your profile to see where it can be updated or enhanced. LinkedIn offers many tools and features to help you complete your profile. Take advantage of them to clean up, refresh and reorganize your digital presence.

Here are some recommendations to take your profile from ho-hum to top notch:

Keywords matter: Make your headline and summary sections count with a unique, keyword-rich headline and a relevant, interesting summary. Do not just list your current job title and company and call it a day. (Check out Tess’ profile to see how the pros do it.)

Add media: You can add photos and videos to the summary, experience and education sections with a URL to further enhance your profile.

Personalize: Update your profile picture with a professional headshot, personalize your public profile URL, and never send out a generic invitation for contacts. People want to see you and hear from you, not an avatar with a pre-populated message.

Get recommendations: If you did a good job with an employer or client, ask for a personalized recommendation. Make it easy on the person and draft a few sentences for them to use when making your request.

Join groups: More than 200 conversations are happening each minute in LinkedIn Groups. Join them to network and discover new contacts within your industry or field of expertise. Look for groups where you have an opportunity to extend your personal brand as a thought leader and groups you want to learn from. (We recommend joining the CONEXPO-CON/AGG group.)

Share wisely: Write posts and blogs that tie back to your goals and objectives and like and comment on other’s posts. Be sure to use the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of your activity should be sharing valuable content and engaging with others and 20 percent should be about you. No one wants to be sold to 24/7.

With your strategy and goals in place, an updated profile and a consistent stream of relevant content, you’ll be well on your way to establishing yourself or your construction business as a thought leader and trusted partner in the industry.

Want More Information?

CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s comprehensive Education Program is the leading source for contractors, business owners, construction material producers and end users to obtain cutting-edge information for today’s challenging economy and business model.

For those unable to attend the education sessions or who would like a copy of what was presented, recordings are available for purchase on a USB drive. There are over 130+ unique sessions from all ten education tracks: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, Earthmoving & Site Development, Cranes, Rigging & Aerial Lift, Safety & Regulation, Technology, Equipment Management & Maintenance, Management: Business Best Practices and Management: Workforce Development.